The Selective Service System has been instructed to make military draft registration automatic.

President Trump signed the annual National Defense Authorization Act Dec. 18, a day after the Senate gave its approval to the record $901 billion spending bill. This includes a mandate that the Selective Service System make registration automatic for males ages 18-25. The deadline for implementation is Dec. 18, 2026.

Reviving a military draft would require congressional approval. The most recent draft ended in 1973. Draft registration resumed in 1980.

The Center on Conscience and War reports Selective Service will implement this legislation by crossmatching data with other federal agencies to register people it believes are required to do so and share that information with military recruiters.

The CCW notes that some conscientious objectors consider registration with Selective Service to be a form of participation in war. While automatic registration would eliminate the requirement for these COs to take an action contrary to conscience, it also would place their information within the Selective Service System without their consent.

Many men today are registered with Selective Service when they apply for a driver’s license or other state-issued identification. Selective Service’s most recent annual report to Congress indicated the registration rate for men 18-25 in 2024 was 81%, with a specific rate for 18-year-olds of 42%.